Salsa Crema E Zucchini

Photo: Patricia Turo

Ingredients

2 cups water

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 large fresh zucchini

10 peppercorns

4 tablespoons cream (half& half or heavy cream)

1 small anchovy (optional)

Salt to taste

Preparation

Peel one zucchini. Half both zucchini lengthwise and remove seeds. Put the peels and seeds into the broth. Cut both into 1/2” cubes. Put half of the peeled cubes and half of the unpeeled cubes into the broth. Reserve the 2 remaining halves for the steamer.

Add water, garlic (whole), peppercorn and anchovy into broth. Put the steamer with the remaining half of the cubes on top of the pan and cover. Boil down at medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove the steamer and reserve the steamed zucchini. Remove and put aside the zucchini cubes from the broth. Strain the broth and reduce to half, approximately 1 1/2 cups.

Put the reserved zucchini from the broth back into the broth. Puree with a hand liquefier until smooth. Add the cream (heavy cream will make the sauce thicker; I prefer half & half). Just before serving the pasta add the reserved zucchini from the steamer to the cream sauce. Taste for salt and spoon it over the pasta.

For post and pictures http://turosdolci.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/zucchini-cream-pasta-sauce-stella-d’italia/